Optical instruments such as endoscopes, laparoscopes, arthroscopes, bore scopes, and the like contain a bundle of optical fibers that conducts light down the scope and provides illumination to the viewing field. The fiber bundle in the scope is coupled at the eyepiece end of the scope to a flexible optical fiber cable that is connected to a light source containing the illuminating lamp.
A number of flexible optical fiber cables are in use having varying sizes according to the type and make of the instrument with which they are used. The cables have differing types of connectors to the light source, also depending on the type, size, and make of cable, instrument, and/or light source. This causes problems in connecting the optical fiber cable to the light source because of incompatibility of the connector on the cable to that on the light source. A different light souce may have to be provided for each different optical fiber cable or the connectors on each of the cables must be changed to a single, common fitting that will connect with the light source. Either of these alternatives is expensive and awkward.
Various techniques have been devised to accommodate the different types of cable connectors. In one such arrangement, a disc is provided on the front of the light source having a variety of arcuately spaced connectors of different types. The connector needed for the type of optical fiber cable in use is indexed to a position in front of the lamp in the light source to provide a connection for the cable and illumination to the scope. However, even with the variety of connectors on the disc, a suitable connector may not be available for all the cables presently in use or coming into use, so that again, different light sources will be required, or the cable connectors must be changed.